KDF gets Sh7.4bn for arms in regional weapons race

The Kenyan army. PHOTO | FILE 

By NEVILLE OTUKI

More by this Author

Summary

• Treasury secretary Henry Rotich made the top-ups through a mini-budget that is awaiting Parliament approval.
• The KDF had recently gone slow on acquisition of weapons as neighbouring Uganda made a strong comeback to lead in East Africa’s arms race.
• The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) last month revealed that Kenya slashed its spending on military hardware by half to Sh1.3 billion ($13 million) in 2017 from Sh2.8 the previous year.

The military has been added Sh9 billion for weapons acquisition, positioning the Kenyan army for a bullish entry into the global arms market following a lull that saw Uganda overtake it in arsenal spending last year.

Treasury secretary Henry Rotich made the top-ups through a mini-budget that is awaiting Parliament approval.

Of the Sh9 billion army cash, Sh7.4 billion will be for arms stockpiles and the remaining Sh1.6 billion for personnel emoluments in the period to June 30, as the current financial year comes to an end.

Mr Rotich last September also sought MPs’ approval for budget top-ups by Sh1.8 billion for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), coinciding with the period when the country was gripped by a prolonged election.

READ: Uganda tops arms race as Kenya halves to Sh1.3bn

ALSO READ: US gives Kenya six boats to help boost war on terrorism

MORE: Court gives auditor-general free hand to audit military spending

Strong comeback

The KDF had recently gone slow on acquisition of weapons as neighbouring Uganda made a strong comeback to lead in East Africa’s arms race.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) last month revealed that Kenya slashed its spending on military hardware by half to Sh1.3 billion ($13 million) in 2017 from Sh2.8 the previous year.

Uganda on the other hand ended its lull with its last year’s arms stockpile worth Sh1.8 billion, a departure from 2016 when it made nil purchase. In 2017, Tanzania did not make any purchase.

Tanzania’s non-action in the global arms market came amid austerity plan by President John Magufuli who is pushing for cuts in expenditure deemed non-essential.

Nairobi’s arms orders last year included a second-hand naval gun, AK-630 30mm, from Montenegro “for modernisation of Jasiri OPV (offshore patrol vessel),” the Sipri report says.